Under and over rated internship sites..share your thoughts

[54321]

I have heard multiple people mention that certain big name internships weren't all that impressive and that they were pleasantly surprised by others. As I prepare my list of where to apply, I'd love to hear from those who interviewed or interned recently about the pros and cons of various sites that they visited. I know you are only there briefly but it's helpful to hear from others and to get a "feel" for the program beyond what is on their website.

Are there any programs that unexpectedly stood out to you in a really positive way? What were pros and cons of various sites you visited (i.e. quality of training, happiness of students, unique things about a particular site, etc.) that might be helpful for someone deciding where to apply to know about?

I'm especially interested in hearing about VAs, medical schools, and counseling centers, pretty much everywhere but the northeast and the LA area.

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[erg923]

I have heard multiple people mention that certain big name internships weren't all that impressive and that they were pleasantly surprised by others. As I prepare my list of where to apply, I'd love to hear from those who interviewed or interned recently. What site were a bit of a let down? Which ones did you really like when you werent expecting much? What sites lived up to their name? I'm especially interested in hearing about VAs, medical schools, and counseling centers.

This might be a bit difficult for a couple reasons. 1.) I'm not sure how many people are gonna wanna bash specific sites (its a public forum).
2.) Spending 4 hours at the place on interview day hardly clues you into the internal dynamics of a training program. Also, just because you might have been put off my an interviewer at a site doesn't mean the site/program is bad...so its hard to really know. Meeting with the current interns is probably the best way to get a "feel" for the program beyond the rotations offered and the description in their training brochure. Their behavior can clue you in alot.

Personally, I was NOT partial to programs that expected 50-60 weeks and paid less less than 20k (look in the northeast for these), sites that broke major rotations into less than 4 months (eg., offered Four 3-month rotations), or sites that told you upfront that you couldn't expect to have an office. All of these were things I ran into. As you can see, no horror stories, no one was rude, non of the sites seemed malignant at all. Basically, just different training models that some people might like, but I did not.

 

[54321]

Good point about people feeling as if they are bashing sites..I certainly don't want people to feel uncomfortable. I really just want to get a feel for what sites are like beyond what is on paper. I currently have a pretty large list of fairly similar sites (especially VAs) so I'm just looking to get some thoughts from those who have been there in person. I've changed the title and specific question so hopefully it sounds more neutral.

 

[irish80122]

These don't fit your geographical requests, but I was very impressed by the University of Mississippi and West Virginia University - Charleston on my interviews. I am currently an intern at Baylor College of Medicine and I really love it, it has been a wonderful place!

 

[JXCA]

I heard that a similar thread had been touched on in past years. Does anyone know if that is true and where to find it?

 

[54321]

Thanks for the feedback Irish.. I actually wanted anywhere BUT new York and LA so you were in the right area. JXCA if you find that thread please post a link. I'd be interested to read it.

 

[cara susanna]

Could SDN set up that anonymous interview feedback/rating system for internships? Dunno, just a thought.

 

[psyunknown]

Could SDN set up that anonymous interview feedback/rating system for internships? Dunno, just a thought.

Hm that would be helpful for people applying. Interesting thought Cara.

 

[Quynh2007]

These don't fit your geographical requests, but I was very impressed by the University of Mississippi and West Virginia University - Charleston on my interviews. I am currently an intern at Baylor College of Medicine and I really love it, it has been a wonderful place!

I've got WVU on my list this year, but on their website it says they don't do interviews unless you request it. How did that work out for you, and what did you do when you went there for interviews? Did you think it helped our chances of getting in (They say it doesn't but one never knows).

 

[ADDICTED2STATS]

Not sure about WVU, but The Mississippi Consortium at University of Mississippi Medical Center was a big surprise for me. All the interns were extremely happy, and it seemed the training was amazing. It was by far the biggest surprise for me. After my visit it went from my #10 spot to my #1 spot (but eventually I moved it to #2).

 

[Ollie123]

Those who have been to the Mississippi Consortium, what did you think of the area? A friend of mine is from nearby and had me somewhat concerned. She's usually pretty open to new areas, and I'm fairly certain I could live just about anywhere for a few years but she made it sound like it was just awful.

Main reason I ask is that they have a lot of people in my area of interest and we have connections there. Given its academic focus it would be a great fit for me and I will probably apply regardless (can't be too picky these days!), but am just curious if others got the same impression of Jackson.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Those who have been to the Mississippi Consortium, what did you think of the area? A friend of mine is from nearby and had me somewhat concerned. She's usually pretty open to new areas, and I'm fairly certain I could live just about anywhere for a few years but she made it sound like it was just awful.

I was interested in a neuro fellowship at Methodist (which I heard was very good), so I asked some friends about the area.They strongly recommended not living in Jackson, but there are places farther out that would be fine (safer).

 

[3rdWave]

I was told by a faculty member at WVU Charleston to request an interview if I was dead set on matching there... I did, and I can vouch for it being awesome.

 

[cara susanna]

Request an interview? Don't they automatically interview you? Or do you mean that you had a connection with their particular faculty member so that got you an interview?

 

[3rdWave]

Request an interview? Don't they automatically interview you? Or do you mean that you had a connection with their particular faculty member so that got you an interview?

No, I don't know of any places that "automatically interview" applicants.

If you are interested in the unique method for interviewing at WVU Charleston check out their website.

No, I did not have a "connection" with anyone at WVU.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Could SDN set up that anonymous interview feedback/rating system for internships? Dunno, just a thought.

Would you guys use it? I know we haven't had a lot of use of the grad school interview feedback function for clinical psych.

 

[cara susanna]

Well, I meant interview applicants that they're interested in. Sorry, I realize now what you meant.

Looking at the website, I just realized that I know someone who did her internship there. She seemed to like it.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I was very impressed/pleasantly surprised by the Central Arkansas VA during my interview there. I'd already heard good things about it from my adviser beforehand, but after the site visit, I'd have bumped it up to at/near the very top of my list if not for other (geographic) factors.

The staff were all very friendly and supportive, the interns were quite happy and appeared to be getting great experience and supervision, and the overall structure of the program really gave me the feeling that they truly value their role in training future psychologists. And other than the somewhat hectic weather that followed my visit, Little Rock didn't seem like a bad place to live.

 

[ADDICTED2STATS]

Those who have been to the Mississippi Consortium, what did you think of the area? A friend of mine is from nearby and had me somewhat concerned. She's usually pretty open to new areas, and I'm fairly certain I could live just about anywhere for a few years but she made it sound like it was just awful.

Main reason I ask is that they have a lot of people in my area of interest and we have connections there. Given its academic focus it would be a great fit for me and I will probably apply regardless (can't be too picky these days!), but am just curious if others got the same impression of Jackson.

For me, UMMC dropped to #2 solely based on location. One of the people I met there (a working class person I met who was not at the internship) made a terrible racial remark that left a lasting impression on me. I really didn't want my kids in a place like that, but the site was so amazing that I figured if I didn't get my top spot (which was in a much better location and had a much better name, but didn't seem to have the training opportunities offered at UMMC), I could handle Jackson for a year. If I didn't have children, I probably would have kept Jackson at #1, and that's over several of what we call the "Top" internship sites in the country.

My thoughts on location are that, if it were just me, I could do anything for a year. Get to know your neighbors and you'll be fine. None of the interns seemed worried about living in Jackson (although, I don't know how much of that was due to interns not wanting to tell me the negatives of Jackson). At any rate, it's well worth submitting an application and checking it out for yourself.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I know quite a few interns who, like some of those above, bumped it up (and matched there) based on their interview experiences. To the best of my knowledge, they were very happy with the training, and continue to rave about the site. Of the handful I was/am more than a brief acquaintance with, all went on to excellent post-doc sites, with a few then taking university faculty positions afterward. It's definitely a great site if academia/research is a long-term goal.

The interns also seemed to enjoy living in Jackson, as none complained about the city. Then again, while many weren't from the south, they had all spent at least a few years living in the region at some point before attending, so the "culture shock" may not have been as great.

 

[erg923]

WVU Health Sciences-Charleston was impressive and was a nice area, but I wasn't a great fit with the brevity of some of their rotations. As I recall, some were as short as 6 weeks I think.

I will also have to put in a plug for the Biloxi VA.

 

[irish80122]

For WVU Charleston, you do have to request a visit, and they don't grant them to just everyone. Also, you really have to show them love. From what I have heard through the grapevine, even though the deadline is 12/1, apply much earlier and request a visit as early as possible. It is important for them to know that you really want to go there. If you don't hear on a visit, email them again. I waited several weeks after my first email, but as soon as I emailed a second time, I was offered an interview. It was almost like the second email was what they were waiting for...

As far as Mississippi, I was also very impressed by it. If you are a research-focused individual, it has to be on your list. There were some places that were right around the hospital that I didn't want to live in, but there were plenty of nice areas a little further out (that is true of many of the cities I interviewed in). It is a great site!

I interviewed at both Mississippi and WVU Charleston, but didn't match at either. If you have questions, I may be able to help, and can certainly help with any Baylor questions (the Gero track is 50% research, and the access I have to data is unbelievable).

 

[erg923]

For WVU Charleston, you do have to request a visit, and they don't grant them to just everyone. Also, you really have to show them love. From what I have heard through the grapevine, even though the deadline is 12/1, apply much earlier and request a visit as early as possible. It is important for them to know that you really want to go there. If you don't hear on a visit, email them again. I waited several weeks after my first email, but as soon as I emailed a second time, I was offered an interview. It was almost like the second email was what they were waiting for...

I generally found them to be warm and their attitude refreshing.

However, I think the above (IF TRUE) is kinda shiesty. First of all, yes, I'm interested in your site. I wouldn't have applied if I wasn't. Second, the whole point of an interview is to see if I do indeed want to go there. Third, for many applicants, its probably pretty standard courtesy NOT to continually email a site or TD, as many find this to be annoying during such a busy time. If you want me, then could have (or should have) responded to my first email. Interview me, don't interview me, whatever...but don't play games about it.

 

[cara susanna]

Just checked out Mississippi's website and it looks awesome! Definitely will remember it come application time.

 

[erg923]

Just checked out Mississippi's website and it looks awesome! Definitely will remember it come application time.

University of Alabama-Birmingham offers many of the same experiences/opps. Birmingham has the same type of southern culture but a overall MUCH nicer city, IMHO. Just sayin...

 

[cara susanna]

It'd be nice to get a list of research-focused internships, since I know the obvious ones (like Brown) but apparently there are a lot I've missed.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It'd be nice to get a list of research-focused internships, since I know the obvious ones (like Brown) but apparently there are a lot I've missed.

We had a list awhile back in one of the APPIC threads. Do a search for MUSC and the posts should pop up, as I don't think MUSC has been discussed much outside of that context.

 

[cara susanna]

Will do, thanks!

 

[irish80122]

As I mentioned earlier, Baylor Gero Track is very research-oriented (the other tracks have some, but much less). It is a 50% research, 50% clinical split. You are expected to have at least one first-authored publication using the data from the on-going research projects, but there is no reason you can't have more. Right now I have access to the data from two R01 intervention studies, another VA funded intervention study, as well as support from statisticians...and I am just an intern! The intern before me said that she was on four to five papers during her internship, and I am already working on four and I have only been here a couple months (at least half of those I will be the lead author). It is a pretty fast-paced environment, and you need to be able to jump right in and get involved. However, if you can do that, enjoy research, and have at least some interest in geropsychology, it is a really nice fit! Houston is a nice place to live as well (although it is HOT), and the Baylor facilities are very nice. I didn't realize how big of a name Baylor is in medicine until I told people that I matched at Baylor College of Medicine!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

University of Alabama-Birmingham offers many of the same experiences/opps. Birmingham has the same type of southern culture but a overall MUCH nicer city, IMHO. Just sayin...

UAB is another great site, yep. The variety of rotations and populations served, and the general level of enthusiasm exhibited by training faculty, were very impressive. I honestly don't recall how research-focused they would allow you to be, but given the general research bent of the medical school as a whole, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd be open to allowing above-average exposure in that respect. And yes, Birmingham has a bigger-city feel than Jackson to be sure, in addition to having a lot of great suburban areas immediately surrounding downtown.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

As I mentioned earlier, Baylor Gero Track is very research-oriented (the other tracks have some, but much less). It is a 50% research, 50% clinical split. You are expected to have at least one first-authored publication using the data from the on-going research projects, but there is no reason you can't have more. Right now I have access to the data from two R01 intervention studies, another VA funded intervention study, as well as support from statisticians...and I am just an intern! The intern before me said that she was on four to five papers during her internship, and I am already working on four and I have only been here a couple months (at least half of those I will be the lead author). It is a pretty fast-paced environment, and you need to be able to jump right in and get involved. However, if you can do that, enjoy research, and have at least some interest in geropsychology, it is a really nice fit! Houston is a nice place to live as well (although it is HOT), and the Baylor facilities are very nice. I didn't realize how big of a name Baylor is in medicine until I told people that I matched at Baylor College of Medicine!

I've heard great things about Baylor, and was very saddened when they were forced to pull their neuro internship spot last year.

 

[PerhapsMaybeOk]

I was very impressed/pleasantly surprised by the Central Arkansas VA during my interview there. I'd already heard good things about it from my adviser beforehand, but after the site visit, I'd have bumped it up to at/near the very top of my list if not for other (geographic) factors.

The staff were all very friendly and supportive, the interns were quite happy and appeared to be getting great experience and supervision, and the overall structure of the program really gave me the feeling that they truly value their role in training future psychologists. And other than the somewhat hectic weather that followed my visit, Little Rock didn't seem like a bad place to live.

I heard the opposite, how odd.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I heard the opposite, how odd.

I would definitely be interested to hear what you'd heard (hah, that sounds odd). Was it from interviewees, past/current interns...? I didn't have much in the way of expectations regarding any of the sites where I interviewed last year, so it's not as though I went in trying to play favorites, but the Central AK VA significantly impressed me. The staff at least appeared to be very vested in the entire training concept, and the interns were both personable/down-to-earth and seemingly well put-together.

Given that I didn't end up attending, I of course can't say whether or not the impressions they made were accurate. But I'd be surprised if the reality of the situation were significantly different from what they'd presented. Then again, perhaps it depends on the particular track/desired training experiences and/or preconceived notions of the interviewees/interns themselves.

 

[ClinicalTrainee]

I suggest the Salem VA (near Roanoke, Virginia), the Southwest Consortium in Albuquerque, New Mexico (where the majority of rotations are at the Albuquerque VA), and the Seattle VA (Puget Sound). All three sites have training directors that really seem to care about training (as opposed to work horses) and all have a ridiculous number of rotation opportunities. None of these sites could be considered research-heavy sites, but are very research-friendly, with real time (4-8 hours per week) given for research. I should note that I'm a first year assistant professor right now, so obviously on an academic track, but wanted an internship that would provide quality clinical training since I knew it was my last opportunity to do clinical work. Point being that if your CV is solid, doing a "non-academic" internship doesn't necessarily hurt.

 

[PsychBrownBag]

Those who have been to the Mississippi Consortium, what did you think of the area? A friend of mine is from nearby and had me somewhat concerned. She's usually pretty open to new areas, and I'm fairly certain I could live just about anywhere for a few years but she made it sound like it was just awful.

Main reason I ask is that they have a lot of people in my area of interest and we have connections there. Given its academic focus it would be a great fit for me and I will probably apply regardless (can't be too picky these days!), but am just curious if others got the same impression of Jackson.

I did my internship at the Mississippi Consortium and loved it. The area is not my favorite, but you can make anything work for a year. There's great food available (although not every kind I'd like) and interns always find places to hang out. Honestly, the quality of the program is SO much more important and, given that the cost of living in Jackson is solid, I would recommend being open to a year there.

 

[AlaskanJustin]

Would you guys use it? I know we haven't had a lot of use of the grad school interview feedback function for clinical psych.

This is because of failure of clear access. It should be its own sticky (or a link in a sticky) but instead its very difficult to find and many dont know it exists.

 

[54321]

Thanks everyone for your helpful insights! I'm glad to see some that were already on my list and you guys convinced me to add a few of these. Also, people keep mentioning a feedback function. I really think we should get this going. This has been so helpful for me and I know I'd be happy to contribute for others in the future following my (hopefully!) interviews this cycle.

 

[paramour]

I was very impressed/pleasantly surprised by the Central Arkansas VA during my interview there. I'd already heard good things about it from my adviser beforehand, but after the site visit, I'd have bumped it up to at/near the very top of my list if not for other (geographic) factors.

The staff were all very friendly and supportive, the interns were quite happy and appeared to be getting great experience and supervision, and the overall structure of the program really gave me the feeling that they truly value their role in training future psychologists. And other than the somewhat hectic weather that followed my visit, Little Rock didn't seem like a bad place to live.

I heard the opposite, how odd.

+1. Be glad you didn't. Of course, I admittedly could be biased.

I personally know interns who seem to have enjoyed their training, but I also think that they were focused on non-training factors when providing feedback on why they enjoyed their internships.

Of course, my reasons for not liking the Central Arkansas VA are not much better as the level of care that folks receive in the area completely sucketh and then some. But, hey, at least they're related to the actual VA and not "my family likes the area" and "my kid can get good medical care nearby." Even then, I don't think they have any idea what they're talking about. Speaking of which, I wouldn't return to the LR area if my life depended on it . . . and I still own property there.

Watch me match there.

I would definitely be interested to hear what you'd heard (hah, that sounds odd). Was it from interviewees, past/current interns...? I didn't have much in the way of expectations regarding any of the sites where I interviewed last year, so it's not as though I went in trying to play favorites, but the Central AK VA significantly impressed me. The staff at least appeared to be very vested in the entire training concept, and the interns were both personable/down-to-earth and seemingly well put-together.

FYI--It's AR, not AK unless you want your goods to end up in Alaska!

(I know situations in which this has occurred to folks (and myself!) unfortunately.)

 

[AcronymAllergy]

+1. Be glad you didn't. Of course, I admittedly could be biased.

I personally know interns who seem to have enjoyed their training, but I also think that they were focused on non-training factors when providing feedback on why they enjoyed their internships.

Of course, my reasons for not liking the Central Arkansas VA are not much better as the level of care that folks receive in the area completely sucketh and then some. But, hey, at least they're related to the actual VA and not "my family likes the area" and "my kid can get good medical care nearby." Even then, I don't think they have any idea what they're talking about. Speaking of which, I wouldn't return to the LR area if my life depended on it . . . and I still own property there.

Watch me match there.





FYI--It's AR, not AK unless you want your goods to end up in Alaska!

(I know situations in which this has occurred to folks (and myself!) unfortunately.)

Haha yeah, for some reason I always type AK rather than AR when abbreviating Arkansas and then end up having to correct myself; no idea why, but it's unfortunately become a habit at this point.

Interesting that yours is a negative view as well, although obviously my experience there was limited to a single site visit. It sounds like you're familiar with the area, though, so I'm guessing it wouldn't be something that's just attributable to regional/cultural differences.

 

[PerhapsMaybeOk]

Of course, my reasons for not liking the Central Arkansas VA are not much better as the level of care that folks receive in the area completely sucketh and then some. But, hey, at least they're related to the actual VA and not "my family likes the area" and "my kid can get good medical care nearby." Even then, I don't think they have any idea what they're talking about. Speaking of which, I wouldn't return to the LR area if my life depended on it . . . and I still own property there.

Watch me match there.

Can you be more specific about what you don't like about the LR VA?

 

[yadashley]

I was thrilled to be accepted to an APPIC site at an inpatient hospital. I was told certain things about rotations, collaborative learning env'ts etc. It was only the second year they had the program. So Many issues popped up I could write a book. Basically, the administrators fired the one training director (there's supposed to be two full-time staff psychologists to meet criteria for appic). So our first 3-4 months we were with only a part-time off-site supervisor and being given trainings by a social worker (no disrespect to LCSWs but we were definitely not on the same page in regards to duties and tx). Finally got a new training director but our whole year did not go as originally stated it would. We were told we would receive paid vacation days then given a "new" manual which said we did not get that. Originally we were treated badly by the MDs, in fact, our training director was pushed by one for sitting in the unmarked "MD chair." I later learned the first year was even worse - with people actually suing them for not fulfilling their contract. I was just glad to have survived and completed my hours, though I did not get what I wanted fully from training, I did get receive a few things like assesssment experience. So when an internship site is brand new - be a little apprehensive because they are still trying to fit their niche and write protocols.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

This may be helpful to the new crop of intern applicants.

 

[psychRA]

I'm going to apologize in advance for not naming names - I know it's way more useful to actually know which sites people are talking about, but like others on this board, I'm hesitant to identify places where I interviewed.

I interviewed at 2 of the big name, research-heavy VA sites. At one, I was incredibly surprised by how much effort they seemed to have put into the interview day itself. I mean, I figure that when a site is getting 400+ applications, they really don't need to work that hard to sell themselves. I guess I assumed that the applicants would be the ones having to really prove their awesomeness, not the other way around. But the training director put a TON of time into keeping us updated by email, sending us info on everything from what to pack, to what to expect (in detail!) on the interview day. They coordinated things so that, rather than applicants having to run around to multiple sites all over the city, the interviewers all came to one building. They spent a good chunk of time talking about their program, and the benefits and strengths of the various rotations. They provided meals (plural!) and times to relax. Given their powerhouse research reputation, I was pleased that they cared so much about making a good impression.

I interviewed at an equally big name VA, and they certainly weren't unfriendly, but I think they were aware that they didn't need to work too hard. They had us driving ourselves to multiple locations, didn't spend a lot of time telling us about the program as a whole (purely individual "tell us why you think you deserve to be here" interviews), and didn't provide any food. Now, I didn't base my rankings on snacks, but when you're forking over hundreds of dollars to travel to an interview, it's nice when a site can at least spring for breakfast bagels. I didn't have a bad impression of the site - like I said, I expected that they weren't going to do backflips to impress us - but it was interesting to see such contrast in the way the two sites approached the interview.

 

[Member1928]

Perhaps it isn't under rated but I'd just like to again plug University of Illinois Chicago Department of Psychiatry. If you are at all interested in an academic career this site should be at the top of your list (with MUSC/Charleston Consort, Mass General, Mississippi, UCSF etc.). UIC may not have an extensive 20 - 80 page brochure outlining all of their opportunities, but that is in part because the year is tailored to the individual intern; if you match at UIC its like being given keys to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Finally, I seem to recall being told that intern's are only required to amass 10 billable client contact hours per week. Some other sites were probably pushing 20+ easy.

 

[paramour]

Perhaps it isn't under rated but I'd just like to again plug University of Illinois Chicago Department of Psychiatry. If you are at all interested in an academic career this site should be at the top of your list (with MUSC/Charleston Consort, Mass General, Mississippi, UCSF etc.). UIC may not have an extensive 20 - 80 page brochure outlining all of their opportunities, but that is in part because the year is tailored to the individual intern; if you match at UIC its like being given keys to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Finally, I seem to recall being told that intern's are only required to amass 10 billable client contact hours per week. Some other sites were probably pushing 20+ easy.

I know an intern from this previous academic year at UIC. From all reports, the student would completely agree with this. The student's future goals were not clinical, so they were extremely pleased that they could carry on with as much research as their li'l ole' heart desired (and were encouraged to do so) while "barely having any client contact."